The activities of the parents' representative committee must have a stopping point.

Parents' representatives need to know where to stop in calling for activities to avoid creating unnecessary rumors.

Affirming the important role of parent-teacher associations from grade level to school level, many people believe that individuals working in this organization need to clearly define their responsibilities and authority, avoiding interfering too deeply in school activities.

School boards also need to guide parent representatives to know when to stop calling for activities to avoid creating unnecessary gossip.

Illustration: Tien Phong

Recently, the Parents' Association of Hoang Dieu Primary School in Thu Duc District has planned to return the total amount of over 300 million VND that parents of this school have contributed since the beginning of the school year to the "Parents' Association Project". The reason for this is because many parents whose children are studying at Hoang Dieu Primary School have previously spoken out against the fees which they consider to be too wasteful.

Not only at Hoang Dieu Primary School, but at the beginning of every school year, the problem of overcharging at many educational institutions in big cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, makes many parents angry.

According to Mr. Pham Phuong Binh, Vice Principal of Nguyen Huu Huan High School in Thu Duc District, these are just some unfortunate cases of “one bad apple spoiling the barrel” and not all parent-teacher associations only know how to… collect money. However, to avoid unnecessary frustration, Mr. Binh said that in the coming time, the school and the parent-teacher association must make adjustments in the process of coordinating and supporting each other.

Mr. Pham Phuong Binh shared: “The operating process must create a high level of consensus. In addition, it must be public and transparent from the organized activities to the revenues so that parents can clearly understand. Parents need to know what the representative board collects and how those revenues are spent through activities that serve the interests of students in the school.”

In addition to the criteria of transparency in revenue and expenditure, according to Ms. Vo Ngoc Thu, former Head of the Department of Education and Training of District 5, the parent representative committee of schools must define the scope of their activities.

Instead of taking on too many things, even encroaching on the school's professional activities, the parents' representative committee should do a good job of supporting the improvement of education quality as well as paying more attention to extracurricular activities and taking care of students. The important thing is to think about the common good before doing anything or calling for any amount of money. Only then can we avoid resentment and opposition.

Ms. Vo Ngoc Thu said: “In my opinion, the parent-teacher association should play the role of monitoring, advising, motivating, encouraging and speaking up with the higher-ups to help the school’s educational environment operate better. But don’t go too deep into the school’s management issues because each profession has its own expertise. If this can be rectified, it will be very good.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Nhan, Deputy Director of the Nam Viet Institute of Educational Sciences, said that the current negative public opinion towards the parent-teacher association is partly the fault of the school. According to Ms. Nhan, the school leaders have worked in the education sector for many years and understand the laws and regulations of the industry.

Therefore, the principal must know what the parent representative board should and should not do in order to make appropriate adjustments and directions. In case of unfortunate situations, the principal must also take joint responsibility and cannot deny it by saying “the school knows nothing”.

“School leaders need to come up with activities that help promote the role of the parent-teacher association and create prestige for this organization. Don’t put them in a difficult position. Don’t put the parent-teacher association in situations where they can’t refuse, and then when they do, it causes negative reactions in public opinion.

When that happens, the fault does not entirely lie with the parents' representative committee but also with the school" - Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Nhan expressed her opinion.

Many education experts believe that when their roles and powers are clearly defined, the parent-teacher association will be more moderate in organizing activities, especially in calling for contributions and support. School leaders themselves also need to create a clean operating environment for the parent-teacher association to fully develop its strengths.

When everything comes from and is directed towards the practical needs and interests of students, it will certainly receive high consensus from the majority of parents./.

According to VOV